by Erica Rue
“So you believe us—that they’re aliens?” Dione asked.
“The Farmer lied about so much, even you have more credibility in my eyes,” Victoria replied.
Dione glanced at Zane and the professor, but neither of them reacted. She recalled the words carved onto the rock at the Ven shrine. The Farmer lies. Could there really have been Ficarans who worshiped the Vens? She doubted it would matter now that the Vens had destroyed the Field Temple.
“I don’t care if they’re demons or aliens,” Victoria was saying. “You’re still the ones who led them here.”
“They would have found you anyway. It was inevitable,” Bel said.
“And who are you?” Victoria said. Dione could see her looking down on Bel, judging her small frame.
“I’m the one helping Sam organize your people. I’m a survivor of a Venatorian assault, and I was a refugee, just like you are now.” Bel stood, and despite being a full head shorter, she looked rather intimidating. “The Vens would have found this place again, just like that scout ship found you all those years ago. Sam was hiding you, but it was only a matter of time. Consider yourself lucky we showed up.”
Victoria scoffed, but Bel pressed on. This time, she spoke to everyone.
“I lived on the Dappled Rim with my family. There are a lot of planets out there, and ours was on the wrong side of the Bubble. My parents knew about the danger, but they didn’t want to move. They were descendants of the original settlers, and they didn’t think the Vens would come to their small farming colony. There was no reason. We had a comfortable life, but little of value.”
Bel paused and took a deep breath. Zane reached out and squeezed her hand. Dione suspected that he was the only one who had heard this story in full before.
“The Vens don’t need a reason. They aren’t here for your land or resources, not beyond resupplying. The Alliance, our government, would have gladly traded them what they needed. My colony would have traded with them. They attacked us because they enjoy fighting. They enjoy killing. They enjoy stalking their prey.”
Victoria was silent, and Dione was surprised to see her listening so carefully.
“We had warning. We thought it was a pirate ship at first. Pirates want an easy raid. Put up a strong resistance, leave a few crates of supplies where they can get them, and they’ll take it, call it a victory, and then leave. Vens are not pirates. They are hunters. They didn’t want our supplies. They wanted our lives, and they took them.
“Most of the colonists prepared to make a stand when they came, but my brother and I were in the cellars with my mom. It was safe enough from pirates. I don’t know how she realized what was happening, but she told us to hide in the cold storage room, then ran upstairs to find my sister. My brother didn’t listen. He hid me and ran off after my mom.”
“It felt like forever, but my mom finally came back. My brother was behind her, bleeding from his arm. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a bite mark. He wasn’t himself. I watched him—”
Another pause. Bel closed her eyes for a moment, reliving the horror in her memory.
“He killed her. I hid inside one of the carcasses in cold storage until I could barely feel anything. When I came out, I saw my brother’s body. Some other Ven had sliced him open like it was nothing.”
Bel took a breath.
“Ever since, I’ve read everything I could about the Venatorians. The truth is, the Alliance isn’t interested in stopping them. They’ve got their damn Bubble, and anything outside isn’t their problem. The Vens get what they want and leave all of the protected outposts alone, for the most part, so the raw materials keep coming in, and the Alliance doesn’t have to expend resources fighting the Vens. The Vens still get to kill people. Everyone wins, except the ones who die.”
“Why didn’t we hear about this on the vids?” Dione said.
“The Alliance keeps a lot of intel to themselves. No need to alarm the populace with the death of the criminals who thrive outside the Bubble. That’s how they paint us, so that people like you don’t care if we die.”
That wasn’t fair to say. Or was it? Bel was right, though. She hadn’t cared, because she hadn’t known. But all that would change. She would talk to her father when they got back. If they got back. There had to be something he could do. There was no way he knew about this.
“So how do we fight back?” Brian asked Bel.
“There’s no avenue for talks or peace or surrender. The only way to stop them is to kill them all. Every last one. I’m sure you killed many of them last night, but the death tolls were disproportionate. They have redundant organs, a degree of regenerative capabilities, and their plating makes hand to hand combat a death sentence. Ballistic weapons are our best bet. Stun weapons are basically useless, though we only have the one rifle,” Bel said.
“When we were in the woods, maximutes seemed to do a good job of killing them,” Dione said.
“The Aratians have a lot of maximutes. We didn’t have the resources to keep many,” Victoria said.
“Bullets work,” Colm said.
“That’s true, but how much ammunition do you all have left?” Bel said. “My colony was not equipped with enough weapons to kill the Vens fast enough.”
“We have a healthy supply of bullets,” Victoria said, “but we’ll have to go back to the Field Temple to retrieve them.”
“I’ll send patrols to see when it might be safe to go back,” Colm said.
Dione shook her head. “Until the Vens have been taken care of, this is the safest place for your people. We have the high ground, and the Icon will prevent them from flying closer. They’re grounded, and after what Sam did to their other vessel, they know it.”
“They’re just having too much fun killing people to care,” Lithia said.
The professor had been quiet since Bel told her story, but now he spoke. “Where are they going next?”
“Some teams will continue to hunt any Ficaran survivors, but they know the next big target is the Aratian settlement. From what you’ve told me it’s the largest population center,” Bel said.
Dione involuntarily looked to Evy, who had grabbed Bel’s hand. “You can’t let them do that,” the girl said.
“We’re going to find a way to help them,” Lithia said.
“Can I go back home now?” Evy said.
“You can go back home whenever you want,” Bel said. “You are not a prisoner here.”
Dione watched Evy’s chin wrinkle and braced herself for the tears. She hadn’t seen Evy cry since they found her in the Forest Temple days ago. It struck her how amazing it was for a ten-year-old to be so independent. Because of it, she had forgotten that Evy was probably homesick.
Bel led Evy away to get some fresh air.
“The only chance we have is to work with the Aratians,” Brian said, looking directly at Victoria. “Without our weapons, they may not survive.”
“I will not put any of our weapons into Aratian hands,” she said.
“Well, you’ll have to figure out something, because if the Aratians fall, they’re coming here next,” Lithia said.
Victoria frowned. “I’ll negotiate with Michael, but I’ll do it here. That’s why I need your help. I want you to bring him back.”
“So you want us to bring the Aratian leader back here?” Lithia raised an eyebrow. “How’s that gonna work?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Victoria said. It sounded like an insult.
“Victoria,” the professor said, heading off the argument. “What can you tell us about Michael?”
“He’s cruel. We grew up together, and he can only deal in absolutes. Right and wrong. Black and white. He can’t see my people for what we are, humans. He thinks that we are all criminals. He’s impossible to deal with, which is why my people are starving. The only way to solve this problem is to kill him,” Victoria said.
“That doesn’t sound like a very good plan. Who is his successor? Would that person work
with you if you had just killed Michael?” Professor Oberon asked.
Dione went cold. What was the professor saying? It sounded like his only concern with killing someone was that it would create ill will.
“His brother Benjamin would succeed him until his daughter Cora could take proper control. Benjamin is at least reasonable. Show him evidence, and he might listen.”
“I doubt Benjamin would cooperate if you killed his brother. Murder aside, your plan is illogical,” the professor said. Dione relaxed as she saw what he was doing, showing Victoria that even if she thought killing Michael was fine, it was still a bad plan.
“You have a compelling hostage right outside,” Victoria said all the same, referring to Evy.
“She’s not a hostage,” Lithia said. “Drop it.” There was a true darkness in Lithia’s voice that Dione had never heard before.
“We have the Flyers,” Colm said. “A display of force might persuade them.”
Dione had heard enough. “Are you people idiots? I know you hate the Aratians, and you may even have a few good reasons, but the Vens will kill you all unless you find a way to work together. You have to make a deal or a trade or a truce. You have weapons, they have numbers and a strong defensive position. Give them some guns, for void’s sake.”
“Absolutely not. The guns are the only things that have kept my people safe from them all these years,” Victoria said.
“Then send in your fighters with guns. You saw what the Vens can do. This threat is bigger than the Aratians. At least they don’t want to kill all of you,” Dione said.
Victoria stared at her hard for a moment. “There are some fates worse than death. Ficaran guns will stay in Ficaran hands. Colm will go with you. He’ll come find you in an hour. Michael and I will negotiate here.”
“I can’t imagine how this could go wrong,” Lithia said, glaring at Colm.
Victoria nodded, and Colm scowled. Dione realized he was not happy that he had to go along. She wished he wouldn’t. This would be a volatile situation no matter what, and a brute like Colm would only make things worse.
Victoria and Colm left, and soon after, Bel and Evy returned.
“So that’s it? Our plan is to negotiate peace between two groups that hate each other with no bargaining chips?” Lithia said.
“All we need is a temporary alliance,” Bel said. “After the Vens are dead the Aratians and Ficarans can go back to hating each other.”
“I don’t want that. These people are nice, even though they’ve lost so much,” Evy said. It was then that Dione realized that she had been in the thick of it all with Bel, getting the refugees settled.
“I don’t want that either, Evy,” Brian said. “I think that if you go back and tell the truth, and keep telling the truth, you can make a difference.”
“I can talk to my uncle and father,” Evy said, “but they don’t usually listen to me.”
“It can’t hurt,” Bel said. “How are we going to get Michael to agree to negotiations?”
“Hostages. We need to leave collateral there,” Lithia said.
“Do you trust Victoria to honor a truce so much that you’ll stay behind?” Bel said.
“Nope. That’s why we’ll give them Colm,” Lithia smiled, proud of her brilliant plan. “Two birds, one stone.”
Dione still felt like there was another angle. Reason. There had to be an avenue for reason instead of threats. Instead of human insurance. What did the Aratians value that she or the Ficarans could provide? Suddenly, it hit her.
“Genetic diversity,” she said.
“What about it?” the professor said.
She stood up. “That’s what the Aratians value more than anything else, or at least what their leaders value. They’ve been working on preserving and enhancing genetic diversity as much as possible, to the point of oppression. If too many Aratians die, they will lose a piece of their diversity. I think it might be enough of a worry for them to come to the table.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, considering her words. It sounded stupid, of course, but this was a bizarre world they had crashed into, and when one thought of it like that, her plan just might work.
“If they really cared about that, why do they shoot us on sight?” Brian asked.
Dione thought for a moment. “Are you sure they do?” she asked. “Remember those captured Ficaran techs? They were using them to make repairs.”
“They only shot Nadia when she tried to escape,” Lithia said, frowning at the memory.
Brian said nothing.
“I think you may be right,” the professor said. “Even if they don’t value Ficaran lives, they must realize that they need to work with them in order to preserve their own.”
“It’s worth a try,” Bel said.
Zane nodded. “I’m in.”
“I’m driving,” Lithia said.
“I’m going to stay here,” Bel said. “I’ve been working with the Ficarans and Sam, and I think I can do the most good by staying put.”
“Then I’ll go with Lithia and Zane,” Dione said.
Brian turned to her. “I’m not going to the Vale Temple. I want to stay here and see what I can do to help.”
“I understand,” Dione said. She was a little nervous, but also relieved. She didn’t want the Aratians to hurt Brian.
He got to his feet. “Come on, Evy, I’ll help you get your things.” The two left, leaving only the four StellAcademy students and their professor.
“So, Oberon,” Lithia said, “any other thoughts?”
“We can’t figure this out for them. Even if we get them to cooperate, there are no guarantees. The Vens might be too powerful. I’m out of my element here, but we’ll provide a forum to talk.”
“And if the talking fails?” Bel said.
“Many more people are going to die,” he said.
22. CORA
Cora woke up earlier than usual. Today was it. The Matching. She just knew that she would be paired with Will. After all, the original Farmer’s granddaughter should get the best match, and Will was the best for her. She looked out the window at the assembly area. Giant, colorful blankets of blue, pink, and orange had been laid down for the crowds to sit on later as they watched the Matching.
Despite the early hour, many people walked around, enjoying the holiday. The market was open, and people from the farms on the outskirts were already milling around. She hoped her father had returned with the rest of the cavalry in the night.
She wanted to go out and wander around the town on her own, but there was so much to do already. At least she didn’t have to pack. As the Regnator’s daughter, her Match would be moving in with her. How strange it would be for Will to live here in the Temple.
Her aunt would be coming soon to help her get ready for the day. In the morning, she would parade through the city with the other girls, followed by the new mothers from the Matches of the previous two years. At midday, she would share a meal with her own family. For most of the girls, this would be the last meal with their family for weeks. After the Matching they would have dinner with their husbands and new family, and move in with them that night.
As the Regnator’s daughter, Cora would have a special ceremony in a few weeks before her new husband moved in with her. Cora stared out the window, daydreaming about what it would be like having Will around the Temple. He seemed worried about today, but Cora knew the Farmer would want them matched. She knew that her uncle wouldn’t make a mistake.
She couldn’t wait anymore. She would see if her aunt was awake. She walked down the hall to her aunt and uncle’s room, and paused at their door, listening for movement. Voices! They were awake. Cora prepared to knock, but stopped once she heard her father’s name.
“The runner who came said Michael and the cavalry were pursuing the demons,” Ben said. “Everything is on lockdown right now. I can’t send someone to look for Evy.”
Cora’s breath caught in her throat. First the Ficarans, now the demons. She should h
ave known the Ficarans wouldn’t pose a challenge, that something else was keeping him. This must have been what Theo was ordered to keep from her.
“But you’re the First Geneticist,” her aunt replied.
“All the more reason I have to stay here. We have to trust that Evy is okay. If Cora says Evy wouldn’t come with her, we have to believe she’s not in immediate danger. She’s a stubborn child, but she’s not stupid.”
“You believe it, then. I’ll worry for the both of us. Are we still holding the Matching today?” Amelia said.
“Yes. Cora will be disappointed that Michael isn’t here. So will the other girls whose fathers are still out with the cavalry,” Ben said.
“Or worse,” Amelia chimed in.
“But we have to maintain our traditions. I won’t delay the Matching.”
“Then we continue on. Ben, will you tell me—”
“No,” he said. “I cannot disclose the Matches until the ceremony, even for our niece.”
“She has expectations, and I don’t think she realizes that she may not be matched with who she expects,” her aunt replied.
“If you’re worried, talk to her.”
“Very well. It’s a sacrifice all of us must make, even Cora. That’s what makes us Aratians. Honor and duty, a lesson we all must learn. I’ll go wake her.”
Cora rushed as quietly as possible back to her room. Her father wasn’t back yet, she thought, but it was only morning. He might still return, despite what her uncle had said. Even demons were no match for Michael Bram. When her aunt arrived a few minutes later, she was pretending to sleep.
She heard Amelia mutter under her breath, “Of course, she’s still asleep.” Then she felt a rough shake of her arm.
Cora made a big deal of yawning. “Good morning, aunt,” she said.
“Good morning, child. Time to prepare for today. I’ll send for some breakfast.”
“I’m not really hungry,” Cora said.
“Well, you need to eat something. How about a polla? They’re your favorite, right?” Amelia said.
